The Top 4 Health Science Activities to Try This Spring

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Spring is here! With Spring break and the end of the school year near, it's not unusual for students to get sluggish. Now is the time to keep engagement high and ensure important concepts are being retained. Here are some ways to do just that!

  1. Allergy Awareness Investigation - With pollen at an all-time high, this activity teaches students about seasonal allergies and the immune system. Students will research common spring allergens (pollen, mold, etc.) and track local pollen counts. Discuss how the immune system responds to allergens and explore ways to reduce exposure, like wearing masks or staying indoors during high pollen days.

2. Seasonal decoders - If you didn't know, decoders are kinda my thing right now. I first fell in love while creating the Valentine's Day decoder. I love the pretty templates and the game-based aspect. They're simple to create. You can use key terms or answers to questions. You enter the number of boxes based on the answer. The decoder sheet tells students the symbol that represents each letter. This is so important for self-checking and to give hints throughout the assignment. If you need one that's already made, check out my Sig Codes Peeps Bunny Decoder.

   
   
   
   

3. Sun Safety and UV Protection Experiment - This is a great activity for the warmer days and with Summer approaching; it demonstrates the importance of skin protection. Use UV-sensitive beads or paper that change color in sunlight and have students test the effectiveness of different sunscreens and clothing in blocking UV rays. After completion, discuss the risks of sun exposure, including skin cancer and sunburns. If you need help finding the materials, feel free to use the underlined links.

4. Nutrition Relay & Review - Students will review key nutrition concepts while connecting how healthy eating and physical activity work together for overall health — since it's Move More Month. Gather the supplies and have fun!

Supplies:

• Printed food cards (with pictures and nutrition facts for proteins, fruits, veggies, grains, dairy, and junk food)

• Cones or markers for a relay course

• "Fuel Tracker" worksheet for each group (made by teacher)

• Whiteboard or projector

• Stopwatch or timer

  
  

  Kick off with a class discussion (What is Move More Month?, Why is it important to move our bodies and eat well?, and How does food fuel physical activity?), then set up the activity. First, divide students into teams of 3–5 and create a “relay track” with cones or markers. At the far end, place the food cards in a basket or spread them out.

  One by one, students will race to the food card pile, select a card, and bring it back to their team. As a group, they record the food type (protein, carb, fat, etc.) and it's health benefits, whether it’s a good pre- or post-exercise choice on their Fuel Tracker. After all cards are collected, teams review and discuss their food choices. Bonus points if they can build a balanced meal or snack combo!

For wrap up, ask teams to share (What foods were best for fueling exercise?, Were any surprising?, and What’s one way you can eat better and move more this month?).

If you try any of these awesome ideas, please comment and let me know how it went!

- Arial

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